"They're usually employed as a response to a mine scenario and right now to our knowledge, the Iranians have not deployed mines in the strait," said retired Vice Adm. Pete Daly.

Dolphins are trained to detect mines at the marine mammal program just off shore at Naval Base Point Loma.

"Because of their exceptional sonar and echo sounding, they can pick out mines in murky and cluttered waters," said Daly.

San Diego is also home to seven mine countermeasure ships and a state-of-the-art facility to train sailors in mine detection.

Operational security prevents anyone from confirming whether the dolphins have been sent to the Strait of Hormuz, but they were successfully used in the Iraq War to detect mines in and around oil platforms.

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